Creating a Layouts Website folder for use in Expression Web
Expression Web comes with a number templates and css layouts, but my favorite place to start my template design is Inknoise Lay-o-Matic. Because this site appears to go down frequently - usually when I need it - I created a website where I can store each of the layouts I use most often.
File | New | Web Site | General | One Page Web Site
Choose a name for the new web - layout-templates - click OK
I go to the Inknoise Lay-o-Matic site and save each of the layouts I want to the newly created web site. Choose names that you will easily remember: fixed-fullpage-layout.html; liquid-full-page-layout.htm; two-column-fixed.html; two-column-liquid.html. Each of these layouts use an embedded style sheet so I leave them in the root directory.
Expression names the initial page it creates default.htm. I rename it index.html and use it as a table of contents for the templates. If I find out templates that I use on a regular basis, I will add them to this site. Each of these is saved to a folder within the main website with the name of the template. You could also save a page for any restrictions or credits required for the use of that template.
I could also add menus that I like to use as a section on this site. When I was finished, my folders within that site might look like this.
First I will set each of these up with basic styles and makes sure the html code and style sheet validates. Whenever I want to use any of these templates, I copy them to a new web folder and I am ready to start work on the new site.